


The Frozen Hallways

by Phoenexus



Series: Defector [6]
Category: Jackscepticeye - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cyberpunk, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, F/M, I wish I knew Kathryn's last name, M/M, Partner Betrayal, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-10-18 17:16:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10621491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenexus/pseuds/Phoenexus
Summary: "It all suddenly made sense and Mark's heart sunk with despair. He had been played."Mark makes his way undetected in the Above, trying to find some bit of information for revenge. Split up from Jack, he can't help but feel that something is very…wrong





	

The group of four began to head into the main building and into the maze of light main hallways. These were the ones that soaked up yellow office lights and were typically busy in the mornings. They were used more than the back ones that Mark was used to and the light almost comforted him in a way.

However, Mark looked around and still felt tense and cautious around these new, unknown people.

In contrast, the soldiers seemed relaxed and chattered amongst themselves, hardly acknowledging Mark’s presence.

So if he wanted to slip away, it was possible.

There was something that stopped him from going right away. He caught the eyes of one of the soldiers and she seemed to sense something. There was some sort of connection that Mark could sense from her melancholy stare.

“If you want to talk to Tyler,” this soldier explained suddenly to Mark. “I can take you to his office.”

“That would be great,” Mark responded with a gentle smile. The other two began to head back outside after saying they’d cover for their friend.

“Good luck,” One of the soldiers called from behind. She meant it with her flickering brown eyes. She sounded nervous, which didn’t help Mark’s now queasy stomach.

“Come on,” The soldier lead the way down the hallway, expecting Mark to follow.

He wasn’t really going to see Tyler, though that was most likely obvious. If Mark saw Tyler, Tyler might kill him. It was a realization that shook Mark’s world, but fell into place effortlessly. Mark felt a chill run down his spine and he shuddered.

“I don’t know why it’s so cold in here,” The soldier mentioned as she let her hand run through her brown hair. “I might as well go talk to someone about that before I get back to my post. I’m not really in a hurry.”

She really wasn’t eager to get back to her post. She had even dropped her gun slightly so it hung over her shoulder, pointed at Mark, but not in a way that would prevent him from running away and not being shot. She was either too trusting or stupid. Or maybe she could sense that Mark didn’t have a violent streak and would be sick if he ended up killing anyone.

The two of them walked in silence in the familiar hallways that Mark spent the last few years of his life in. Cold, callous and shrouded in a pale blue light that cast eerie shadows on everything. That had been his life not too long ago.

In the darkness, Mark could hardly see the soldier’s face. If it weren’t for the blue highlights and the glow of her glasses that reflected the blueness, he wouldn’t know where she was.

Finally, the soldier stopped Mark before they rounded the corner. She turned to him with a forlorn expression on her face. The way she stood in that moment allowed Mark to see the redness in her eyes that he hadn’t even noticed when they had been cast in more light in the main hallways.

“You and Amy were going out right?” She asked with a quiet voice.

Mark didn’t know what to say. This soldier took that as an answer and let out a shaky breath. She looked around to check if anyone was around.

“I have my suspicions about what happened to her,” she spoke with urgency in her shakiness. “I just wanted to confirm…”

“She’s gone,” Mark answered rapidly in a low whisper, not wanting to linger in the eerie silence. “She’s gone. God damnit she’s gone.” He wasn’t angry, just miserably sad. He hadn’t wanted to resurface these emotions. Not here, not now. Not in this building he had escaped not too long ago.

The soldier gave him a grimace of a smile.

“I know it was Tyler,” She assured him. “That bastard.” Her face was fixed in a deep frown, until it finally smoothed out into calmness.

Mark didn’t respond.

“I was Amy’s best friend,” She told Mark hollowly. “When she didn’t talk to me after a few days, I was worried. I figured she was okay, most likely, but as the days continued…well I was panicked. I didn’t know how to ask anyone though because if I made a mistake I’d be fired.”

“I get it,” Mark nodded. “I’m sure Amy would’ve too.”

“And now…” She trailed off. “Now I know she’s gone.” the soldier looked down.

“What’s your name?” Mark asked as he placed a hand on her shoulder and kneeled down slightly to meet her downcast eyes.

“Kathryn.”

Mark remembered her. Vaguely. He remembered the nights that Amy would spend talking to her face cam for hours into the night, giggling while Mark tried to sleep. This was the famous Kathryn, Amy’s quiet, faceless, but loyal and kind, old roommate.

“Nice to finally meet you Kathyrn,” Mark rose to his standing height and took his hand off her shoulder. He held out a hand for her to shake.

“Likewise.” She had a nice firm handshake and a distant smile on her face.

“What are you doing back here though,” Kathryn asked as she dropped her hand and shifted the gun in her hands.

“Why would you come back here after what happened to Amy?” She swallowed the last part of her question, as if she were afraid to address what had happened.

Mark, though hesitant, felt he could trust this girl. She seemed honest, with her damp eyes and upright posture, as if she were trying to keep from breaking down.

Was he being too trusting lately? Time would tell.

“I’m here for the Above’s plans,” Mark spoke slowly in a hushed whisper. “I’m here with someone who has connections with the rebels and we’re going to prevent anything like this from happening again.” Mark found himself believing that last part.

Kathryn smiled, a genuinely kind smile as a tear fell down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly.

“Then fuck Tyler’s office,” She responded. “I mean, I’m assuming you didn’t want to go there in the first place anyway.” She chuckled slightly. “I don’t know where the room you’re looking for will be, but I wish you the best of luck.” With that, Kathryn gave him one final head nod and left in the same direction they came from.

Mark watched as Kathryn turned the corner. He hoped she wouldn’t get into trouble for letting him go, she seemed like a good person.

When this was all over, he wanted to talk to her about Amy. That way, they both could get some sort of closure. He smiled knowing how Amy would’ve liked that. That put him at some sort of ease of acceptance.

Sure, each day would be challenging without her, and his heart ached to think of her name or flowers or the color yellow. But surely, with each day he lived in her memory and though he’d never forget her, he’d move on with his life. She may be dead, but if he were to give up on his own life that would kill her again.

So there Mark travelled in the dimly lit hallways, trying to figure out the maze of corridors that this building was made of. His mind followed the pattern and raced away on a tangent.

What was left after all of this?

What would Mark and Jack return to after this was all done?

Jack could join the rebellion in Wiishu’s place and take over her controls and Mark…

Mark was lost. Both in the building and in his future. He had no idea what he’d do once this was all over. There was no way he could return to working here, even if he wanted to.

Maybe he’d join the rebellion. But he wasn’t even good with a gun, he couldn’t begin to work on efficiently enough. Even if he could, why would he want to?

He didn’t want to kill anyone, no matter how horrible their crimes might’ve been. He certainly didn’t want to see his friends fall at his feet as they all fought against the Above. He didn’t want to see blood, or dead eyes, or ripped off ears and teeth. He didn’t want to be reminded of Amy every time he saw a corpse he once considered a friend or even more.

He could possibly go to live with Jack.

Mark turned a corner to his left.

Where was Jack anyways? Shouldn’t he also be trying to find the papers. Wasn’t it highly plausible that they’d run into each other? Mark squinted into the darkness, trying to catch a glimpse of neon hair. There was nothing but the pale glow of blue ceiling lights.

There was still a chill in the air as Mark moved from door to door, trying to open each one. He rubbed his hands together and stuck them in his cloak. Touching the metal doorknobs hardly helped and his fingers felt like they’d fall off.

It didn’t help that the rest of him was sweating. So this mix of temperatures gave him this sickly, sweaty, coldness in his hands that slipped across the doorknobs. Mark wiped his hands on his cape with a scrunched up nose in disgust. It didn’t really help and his hands remained frozen.

He didn’t really know why he bothered trying to open the doors. As if the door to the highly classified plans would be unlocked.

Until he found some sort of sign, he’d have to try every single door he came across. Everytime he came across a door, he practically prayed this one would be the one.

Or if it wasn’t, that it’d be locked. He’d hate to walk into a room with people in it he’d rather not see. Like Tyler for example.

Then something caught his eye that glinted off the blue glow. A small placard that simply stated “Records Room” rested next to a door down a small ways away. Mark grinned thankfully.

He went to it, rubbed his hands to try to warm them and gave the doorknob a tug. He gave it a twist, a shove forwards, a turn. It wouldn’t budge.

Mark slammed a fist against the door and instantly recoiled. He turned around and looked around suspiciously. When he saw no one for a moment, Mark leaned his head against the door and let out a dramatic sigh. He closed his eyes for a moment, soaking in the disappointment.

“You okay?” Mark jumped backwards at the sound of another voice. Jack stood there looking smug. Mark glared at him and then pointed to the door.

“I would be if you had the key to this,” Mark answered. Jack shook his head.

“Haven’t found it,” He shrugged, hands shoved in pockets. “But let’s split up and look.” Jack turned to leave, but Mark caught his shoulder. There was so much he wanted, needed, to say to Jack.

“Didn’t you already look all over?” Mark could only say, pushing the other thoughts on his mind down. Jack shook his head.

“It took a while to bust in without alerting everyone. Did ya know the vents are actually very roomy and very open to the outside world? No wonder it’s so fuckin’ freezing in ‘ere.” Jack let out a small laugh and Mark closed his eyes with a smirk on his face.

“If we die in here,” Mark began to say. “I’m gonna miss-”

“Don’t say that.” Mark’s eyes flashed open and noticed the shift in expression. Jack looked alarmed, and lost again. “We’re gonna get out of this.”

“I don’t know,” Mark responded with a scratch at the back of his neck. “The chances of us actually getting out of her with the plans are slim…” Suddenly Jack was grabbing Mark’s shirt and pulling him closer. Their faces were almost touching and Mark was staring down in surprise at Jack’s watery eyes.

“I’ve lost my fuckin’ girlfriend and my closest friends all at once.” Jack’s voice was hot against Mark’s face and he looked desperate. He sounded even more so. “I can’t lose you too.”

They stood there like that, close and not daring to get closer. Finally, Mark rested two hands on Jack’s shoulders, easing away his grip.

“Then let’s find those keys,” Mark grinned to which Jack nodded in agreement.

The streak of neon green passed Mark and went in the opposite direction he came from. Mark sadly watched him go, his cheeks burned with a deep scarlet.

– ✴ –

It took a while, but Mark finally found the main office where the bunches of keys sat.

Though there was a security guard manning the room and several surveillance cameras lying around, Mark could work around it all.

Though he was not much of a hacker or a computer wiz, Mark had picked up some skills from the other mechanics in his division.

First of all, the surveillance systems in the older parts of the building, like this section, were very easy to disable for a few moments. They would reboot after twenty seconds, but they would completely black-out.

Secondly, the cameras would take a screenshot of the last scene and hold it there while blacked out to give the illusion that they were still working. Therefore, Tyler had no reason to replace the cameras that he thought were working perfectly fine. Sure, outdated, but if they worked then they would stay. Tyler liked to save money for more important things, like bombs and weaponry.

What a brilliant flaw in the system.

The security guard was easy to deal with. He was asleep, his cheek stuck to a jelly donut that had been flattened so that all of the jelly was smeared across the paper plate. The guard even had some jelly on his large nose and in his greying mustache.

Mark went into a side panel that controlled the room’s electricity and used the touch-screen to drop into the wiring of the security cameras. With several clicks and commands, the cameras were in black-out mode.

As Mark tiptoed around the guard, he felt the urge to move the donut to prevent someone else from seeing this embarrassing sight. Knowing it was pointless and would only lead to him getting caught, he just grabbed the keys and retraced his steps back to the Records Room.

It was easier to find it since Mark knew where he was going. Once again, he found it odd that he didn’t run into a breathless Jack, hopelessly lost and confused where the keys were.

Mark could imagine himself listening to Jack complain how the building was too massive and how he just kept walking in circles. Mark would nod and agree completely. Then, he’d pull up the keys. Jack would be impressed and the two of them would enter the room together. They’d get the plans and leave through the vent Jack had talked about. Stealing a plane would be easy and Kathryn would hop on with them. The three people would make it out without being spotted and the rebellion would get the plans.

Then Mark didn’t know what would happen. It didn’t matter anyway, because Mark shoved the key into the door and turned it alone. The door swung open with a small creak and Jack had yet to show. Mark sighed and slipped into the brightly lit room.

The lights were already turned on and were a regular yellow hue. It wasn’t an immensely tiny room, but it was smaller than Mark had expected.

It was just as messy, cluttered and full as he had expected though. There were boxes with overflowing paper lining the walls and several filing cabinets roughly labeled. There were folders lying around and a single table on the westward wall.

What was odd about the table was that it was completely cleared except for one single document. A folder was immaculately placed on the tabletop. It was unopened and not as ruffled as the ones on the floor, or near the cabinets. In fact, it looked like it was brand new based on the folder.

“Whatever,” Mark turned away from it quickly. Though curiosity drew him into it, he decided not to approach it just yet. If he had time, maybe. 

What really mattered was the plans. That was the reason they were here, not to snoop into other secrets that Tyler may have.

So Mark wandered around the room in a lazied rush. He just took anything that said ‘bomb’ or ‘weapons’ or ‘strategy’ on it, even if it was older than the past five years. He ruffled through cabinets of folders, filtering through them with tired glances and wandering eyes.

He was exhausted by it all. This reminded him of the first few years of working in this building, when he had to do the filing for his unit. Even as he rose in the ranks, he found himself always stuck with dealing with filling out files. The paperwork was always the worst thing about his old job, something he’d never miss. Who wanted to spend the rest of their days sorting and filling out file after file after file in an endless stream of paper?

By halfway rushing and falling asleep, Mark sliced his hand across the corner of a paper. He yelped and clamped a hand over his mouth. Fuck. He breathed in sharply through his nose.

He then moved his hand slowly from his mouth and began to suck the blood pooling out of the wounded section, hoping it hadn’t dripped onto the hard, wooden floor.

The cut was right below his thumb in the muscle. It was only a shallow, thin cut but damn it hurt like hell.

After a moment of pause, he removed it from his mouth and simply hoped that it wasn’t bleeding anymore. After all, he only had a limited amount of time to get this done with. 

The several files he had successfully picked up, Mark shoved down his shirt, in the pockets fashioned in his cape, in his boots; anywhere he could stuff hide them. Mark secretly hoped that Jack had found another room like this and was finding more files because he hadn’t found a ton. Most things were digital now, after all.

But Mark knew that Tyler was slightly old-fashioned. He liked to have paper things in order to prevent the intense hacking that constantly plagued this building and the rest of the Above. The most important files would be in this very room, now tucked away in Mark’s pants and clothing. He smirked to himself.

That’s when Mark caught view of the paper again and found himself sitting at the desk. His hands were sweaty, no longer cold due to the blood rushing to his cut. He bit his lip.

He looked down at the file, unsure what to do with it. In an impulsive action, he opened it.

And there was the green-haired bastard. Jack, smiling back at him. Mark was taken back entirely.

He was smiling nervously and dressed in an all-black suit alike to air force garment. Those same green and gold goggles sat on his forehead, but his hair was combed. In fact, he looked collected and prepared for the photograph. It looked to have been staged, like an identification photograph.

The article underneath the picture was titled: “Jack McLoughlin: Rebel Air Division Leader”. As Mark skimmed the page, his eyes widened.

 

“Jack McLoughlin, the youngest known rebel leader, has taken charge of the air division as of three months ago. After the passing of one Felix Kjellberg, he has risen to the task of taking charge of an army of ten thousand pilots. He leads with his right hand man and strategist, who would prefer to only go by his code name, Pixlpit. McLoughlin leads his men on the field, leading bloody and reckless attacks on the Above while Pixlpit is his eyes and ears, controlling a small robot known as “Sam” who hacks into all surveillance systems and technologies that would hinder their goals.”

 

Mark read the article to himself with his mouth opened slightly agape. There was more:

 

“McLoughlin is known to lead several bombardments and chasings of Above military crafts and then leading raids on foot with his soldiers close behind. Despite his reckless strategies, him and Pixlpit have only lost four men in the three months they have been in charge together.

The rebellion is excited to see what this new leader will bring to their cause”

 

Mark was impressed. His smile fell though when he flipped to the next document included in the folder.

“Go to file titled under “Diversion” for more information on Jack McLoughlin”

Mark stood up and went to flip through the other files. Odd, that Jack should have to files on him when he no longer was in the rebellion anymore.

That’s what Mark assumed at least. He wasn’t with Wiishu to meet the other rebellion leaders, meaning that he either quit and resigned or was exiled. The last one seemed unlikely. So what had pulled Jack away from his high position?

Mark found the file and was surprised with how thick it was in comparison to Jack’s puny one. He dropped it onto the table with a loud slap. Mark looked to the door with a flick of his head, expecting someone to walk in. There was no one. He turned back to the file and opened it.

He sucked in a sharp breath when he recognized the person in the identifying photograph holding a placard reading “Plan 32: Diversion” in his bandaged hands.

The guy looked crazed, reckless and messy, more so than when him and Jack had been seen drunk together that one night. His hair was crazy, green, but a darker and more dangerous shade than Jack. He had dangerous, darty eyes that Mark swore moved in the still photograph.

And suddenly things clicked into place in Mark’s mind.

The ripped up photographs still kept in a box under the bed, the pen marks and the reason that Jack wasn’t with Wiishu when the bomb went off. It all suddenly made sense and Mark visibly gasped an “oh”. His heart sunk with despair for Jack.

Jack had been played.

He had been naive in his younger years. This “Diversion”, as he was known as, was sent to get closer to Jack and got extremely close, intimate you could say.

It literally said in the article paired with the photograph, “The two were hardly seen without each other since they had met in a local bar one evening.”

Jack had trusted this man completely it seemed. As Mark looked at more photographs added to the file, he could see clear pictures from the Above’s security cameras of the two holding hands, walking around town. Even a photograph of Jack tugging the other guy with him towards a mysterious building with a rebel soldier standing guard.

Mark shuffled through the rest of the documents wide eyed. There were incredible details that had been leaked to Tyler just with this plan. You would’ve thought that Jack had a filter when around this “diversion”. He should’ve known to keep romantics and work separate, but with the weight of the file, Mark figured that Jack had never knew. There was just too much to properly go through the entire file.

In fact, due to all the information spilled, Mark wondered why Jack hadn’t been executed by the rebels for his treason. How had this all ended? Mark was puzzled.

That was until he flipped to the last page and a single photo stood out. The bloody, torn-apart and gunshot body of the “diversion” laid on the ground. His eyes were still open, in a dull shock as if he halfway expected this to be his end.

Though Jack was nowhere to be seen, Mark could tell that he had been the one to do it. Who else would’ve had enough anger towards this person to tear them apart?

Mark shivered despite himself and put the file back. This wasn’t his business, nor did he want to know more. He wouldn’t bring this up with Jack, not anytime soon at least.

Eventually, Mark would like to hear Jack’s side of the story, but now was not the time. 

Rubbing the images away from his eyes, he began to get up. He heard the shuffling of papers uncomfortably in his shirt and was reminded the reason he had come here.

He turned away from the desk and looked around the room, thinking through if he had forgotten anything. That was when his eyes froze on the corner. A concealed camera.

Of fucking course there was a camera. Why wouldn’t there be if the most hidden facts were here in this very room. How had Mark been so careless as to not tamper with them before coming in here or at least check where they were so he’d have been able to avoid them.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!

He was cursing himself under his shallow breath when he left the room in a daze.

“Mark,” a familiar voice greeted Mark as he opened the door. Mark felt his blood run cold as he froze. “Pleasant surprise to find you here, hm?”

**Author's Note:**

> Ah. I've been slacking on this story. Judging by the part we are on, there should only be one or two more chapters left. If you guys like this universe, maybe I'll do a spin-off about Jack and Wiishu meeting and Jack's previous relationship and how that all turned out. No promises!
> 
> Hope you have a nice day! (though I know realize that most are reading this at night…)


End file.
